High-voltage electrode housing for gaseous discharge tubular lamps



March 3, I953 GASEOUS DISCHARGE TUBULAR LAMPS Filed Feb. 17, 1949 Z SHEETS-SHEET 1 s. G. MILLER HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRODE HOUSING FOR INVENTOR.

SAMUEL C. MILLER BY iw March 3, 1953 s. c. MILLER 7 2,630,469

HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRODE HOUSING FOR GASEOUS DISCHARGE TUBULAR-LAMPS Filed Feb. 17, 1949 SHEETS SHEET 2 SAMUEL c. MiLLER Patented Mar. 3, 1953 HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRODE HOUSING FOR GASEOUS DISCHARGE TUBULAR LAMPS Samuel C. Miller, New York, N. Y.

Application February 17, 1949, Serial No. 77,015

1 Claim. 1

This application refers to insulators, more particularly to high voltage electrode housing insulators including terminal contact mounts for neon tube sign illuminants or similar high voltage operating gaseous discharge tubes. This invention is an improvement over my invention described and claimed in my Patent No. 2,046,960 of July 7, 1936.

Insulator housings of the character set forth in my patent, especially where employed outdoors, while satisfying the requirements as to drainage of accumulated moisture and rain water when exposed to the weather on a framework for the sign has its shortcomings in use in sections where the light attracts insects and which thereby accumulate in the space between the electrode terminal end of the gaseous discharge tube and the insulator housing. Efforts to overcome this problem by providing a covering cap have not solved the problem since the cap, positioned to cover the circumferential space between the tube and the housing, resulted in interference with the drainage of rain water or other moisture which may likewise accumulate in such space.

The commercial processes known to me for making insulator housings of the type above described, particularly of glass and specifically of boro-silicate glasses, such as Pyrex, place a limit upon the configuration which may be imparted to the housing by die-casting and plunger core operations and simple expedients for the solution of the problem presented in the use of insulator housings of the type described have not been successful.

It is an object of my invention to provide a high voltage electrode insulating housing for assembly of gaseous discharge tubes as herein described, and for a method of forming such housings which will embody therein the features of proper drainage, support for the terminal post for clamping the contact and which may have assembled therewith an insect excluding cap, all of which features are retained without sacrifice of the economies involved in producing the insulator, especially with glass of the aforesaid relatively high temperature fiuxing which is cast into the desired contour by die-casting and plunger core operations.

Still more particularly it is an object of my invention to provide a high voltage electrode housing and a method for its production char acterized by the features of providing simple casting contours, drainage outlets and support for an insect excluding shield, all produced by the use of the minimum amount or heat resistant material for the mold parts so that the mold and the core plunger may be used repeatedly without erosion, warping, burning or disfiguring of the mold plunger and parts.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein, or be hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through my electrode housing and terminal mount showing a fragment of the sign frame to which the electrode is attached;

Figure 2 is a rear view thereof;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal view taken in the direction of line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of my electrode housing blank at one stage of its manufacture;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Making reference to the drawing, Figure 1 represents, as in my prior patent, a fragment of a neon sign frame l0 having a boring ll through which the insulator housing 12 projects. A cylindrical body portion I3 is formed with a screw-threaded section M to receive the threaded collar [5, to press the flange l6 thereof against the rear face of the frame l0. A flange l1 provides the abutment for the outer face of the frame l0 which cooperates with another peripheral flange l8 spaced from the rim l 9. A boring or central aperture 20 may receive axially thereof the gaseous discharge tube 2| so as to project its electrode terminal thimble contact 22 with spring contact 23 supported from the cross bracket 24. The cross bracket comprises a pair of clamp bars or metal straps 25 and 26, each of which has a finger 21 entering into the correspondingly positioned undercut slot 28. Each of the cross bars 25 and 26 terminates into upstanding, transversely bent cars 29 and 30, respectively, through which there is directed the clamp bolt and nut assembly 3|, to draw together the ears 29 and 30 against the loop 32 of the spring contact 23 and the loop of the terminal post 32a. The cross bars 25 and 26 have the branches 33 and 34 on their inner surfaces arranged to contact against the finished rim 35 to abut the same.

The smooth finished edge as thus far described with relation to the cross bracket 24 permits of free and unobstructed drainage for almost one half of the area of the boring. Additional features of the boring will be described hereinafter as part of the processing operations for making 3 the same, thereby providing a taper to the interior wall of the boring 20 to effect drainage in the direction of the rim 35 when the axial line of the housing is horizontally positioned.

The rim l9 may be unfinished, and upon axially positioning the illuminating tube 2!, to reach the spring contact, this rim is capped by a capping flange 36. I illustrate a collar shaped cap having a boring filtthroughawhichthe gaseous tuba-projects:and-"acylindrical flange '38 engaging the neck 39 of the housing above the flange lB. A glass collar may be employed and held in position by insulating cement. I, may, however, use hard rubber or ametal: cap with a friction fit for the neck 39.

The economies which I may efiect may best be understood from a consideration of Figures 4 and 5. In these figures, the raw blank as-coming from the mold for making the housing is illustrated, the rim portion l9 having been originally integralwiththe closedgend 4B,. merging into therimforming portion '15, by an offset ridge. M and with an interior wallyiz continuous with the boring 20..

The mold parting, lines along the [flange and transverse of the blank and longitudinally of the blank, are indicatedrby the lines OO' and OA-=OA'., respec.tively. Where formed of glass by die-casting operations in a multipart mold and aplunger core, the draught of the mold is tapered sothat the flare is widest adjacent the rim 3.5andfnarrowest' against the rim i9, which is shown in dotted lines in Figure 4. The rim 3'5 is therefore finished by die-casting and plunger core operations in the mold;

the mold, the closed end 4.0 is removed by a clean-break operation along the lines 23-4, leaving a sharp rim of somewhat irregular contour in accordance with the consequent fracture by reason of the clean break? operation. No further finishing operation need be. practiced for the sake of-economy unless roughly to remove any dangerously-sharp edge in order to receive the capping flange 36. The use of the capping flange which shields the clear break edge not only serves as a shield against the entrance of insects, but eiiects aforesaid" economies, by reason of not requiring a After removal from grinding down of the rim l9.

Thus-,itwillbeobserved that I have provided an insulator housing which is characterized by a support for the terminal post, an enlarged drainage aperture away fromthepoint of-pos- 'sible; accumulation of rain wateror melting snow, and a shield'closingthe exposed surface of the sign or frame toingress'byinsects, all accomplished economically, particularly adaptable to the moulding'of glass, especially that of the. Pyrex or boro-silicate type, permitting the mold and the core. plunger to be used repeatedly,

without erosion, warping, burning or disfiguration.

It will be understood that while my housing and the method of its production is peculiarly suitable for manufacture from glass, especially boro-silicate glass, it is available for moulding with other insulating materials, such as ceramics.

By molded surface as employed in the claim;.it is intended to include the visible surface impression conforming to the mold in which the article was cast, as distinguished from a cut, broken, blown, machined, fused, ground or polished surface.

Byunmolded rim as used in the claim, it is intended-to cover that rim portion of a molded articlegwhich; is adjacent the gate or sprue and requires breakage or removal of the dross or gate or sprue material.

By clean break as used in the claim, it is intended to include the remnant of edge adjacent the gate left on breaking by chipping away the sprue or adj acent-excess gate materialwhich was added'in the casting operation to assure a full mold.

Having thus described my invention andillustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A high voltage electrode housing of insulating material for supporting an electrode tubeon a frame having a substantially cylindrically-contoured eXteriorbody-portion, a mouth at one end thereof through which an electrode tube may pass, a rim at'the other endthereof, anintegral flange between said ends adjacent said mouth, means on said exterior body portion for mounting the housing to the frame, the interior of said housing beingoutlined'by wallscontinuously and gradually fiaringtoward the rim-end, forming a drainage passage extending tothe rim end, said rim end having indentationsexteriorly positioned forming seat portions forsupporting terminal mounting means against dis-placement transversely of said housing adjacent said rim end.

SAMUEL C. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PAIIENTS Number Name Date 1,125,760 Steimer Jan. 19', 1915 1,678,054 Buckley July 24, 1923 1,700,166 Johnson- Jan. '29, 1929 1,700,859 Shipstead Feb. 5, 1929 1,938,001 Wilson Dec. 5, 1933 1,947,526 Ingler Feb. 20, 1934 2,046,960 Miller July 7, 1936 2,147,847 Kresge Feb. 21, 1939 

